“Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word.
Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me!
My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.
You rebuke the insolent, accursed one, who wander from your commandments.
Take away from me scorn and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies.
Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes.
Your testimonies are my delight, they are my counselors.”
Psalm 119:17-24
We come to the third eight verse stanza of Psalm 119. Each verse begins with the third letter in the Hebrew alphabet—Gimel.
While I could comment on each verse, I only want to make two observations today. First is the phrase, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” Open my eyes. As we look to study God’s Word may that be our prayer. When we seek to read God’s Word daily let us pray, “Open my eyes.” When we gather for worship may we pay, “Open our eyes.” We are blessed by the gift of the Holy Spirit that enables us to see and hear the truth of God’s Word. We use the word “illuminate,” which means to make clear. We want God’s Word to be clear to us so that we can understand it and apply it to our lives. So, let’s get in the habit of praying, open my eyes.
Second, when you look at the last verse of this section, “Your testimonies are my delight, they are my counselors,” I hope you put that into practice as well. As we approach God’s Word as believers we do so with delight. The Word of God should be that rich, sweet, treasure to us. We long for it and desire it and delight in it. For that is where our counsel is. Are God’s testimonies your counselors? Is the Word of God where you get your advice and your counsel? Your understanding? Or do you get that from the world?
Let us read and study and listen with open eyes and ears and great delight all that God has revealed to us.